Arjeta, a citizen of Kavaja, has been unable to register the land she inherited from her family because she has been unable to process the necessary documents and follow the strict procedures involved. For many years, despite her best efforts, she was unable to resolve this impasse, which led her to give up on her goal. Recently, however, some family friends told her about an opportunity to obtain free legal advice on property rights for citizens in need. She called and asked for a visit, where representatives of the Tirana Legal Aid Society welcomed her and explained the procedures and legal documentation she needed to complete in order to register her property. Her application was successfully processed by the authorities thanks to the legal assistance provided by TLAS lawyers and representatives through the Helpline, an initiative supported by the European Union and the Council of Europe.
Since August, the Tirana Legal Aid Society (TLAS), with the support of the action on Improving the protection of the right to property and facilitating the execution of ECtHR judgments in Albania (D-REX III), under the joint European Union and the Council of Europe programme Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye, has provided free legal aid to more than 85 beneficiaries through its dedicated Helpline. The Helpline focuses on assisting vulnerable groups in navigating the domestic property rights system, including property registration and compensation claims. Of the beneficiaries, 38 were women and 47 were men, highlighting the broad impact of the service. As of January 2023, more than 559 end beneficiaries have been assisted with legal aid and information, and more than 800 information brochures have been distributed in different regions of Albania.
The helpline, which operates Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 14:00, provides essential legal guidance on how to apply for property compensation under Law No. 133/2015 and clarifies the procedure for registering property. This service is particularly important for marginalised groups, enabling them to access justice and protect their property rights.
In addition to the helpline, TLAS organised two community-based awareness-raising activities in Kavaja on 20 September and in Rrogozhina on 25 September. These events provided local communities and vulnerable groups, including members of the Roma community, with important information on their property rights. During these outreach events, information leaflets were distributed and TLAS staff provided face-to-face explanations of legal procedures and how to contact the helpline for further assistance. This initiative aims to strengthen the ability of citizens to protect their property rights and to ensure the enforcement of European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) judgments in the national context.
The Helpline is available on a regular basis and citizens seeking legal assistance in property matters are encouraged to contact TLAS at 355692093731.
